Guide to Writing Effective Performance Objectives, Self ...

Guide to Writing Effective Performance Objectives, Self Accomplishments and Evaluations

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background & Purpose.....................................................................................................................................1 How to Use This Guide ...............................................................................................................................2

Writing Effective Performance Objectives....................................................................................................3 Six Steps to Writing Effective Performance Objectives..........................................................................3 1. Understand the Purpose of Performance Objectives ................................................................3 2. Compile Your Resources................................................................................................................4 3. Determine the Most Important Aspects of the Job ...................................................................5 4. Work Activities End Results..................................................................................................5 5. End Results Objectives: Make Your "End Result" SMART...........................................5 6. Review Your Performance Objectives using the Checklist for Writing Effective .................. Performance Objectives ...............................................................................................................10 Performance Objective Checklist & Examples.......................................................................................11 Performance Objective Examples: Applying the Checklist ..................................................................12 Work Level Descriptions ...........................................................................................................................16 Performance Objective Examples: Applying Work Level Descriptions.............................................17 Common Challenges & Potential Solutions............................................................................................19 Writing Objectives for a Job that Changes .........................................................................................19 Writing Objectives for Long-term Goals............................................................................................20 Writing Objectives for Activities Not Easily Measured....................................................................21 Writing Objectives at the Appropriate Level of Difficulty...............................................................22 Writing Clear Objectives........................................................................................................................22 Writing Objectives that Relate to Higher-level Goals/Objectives..................................................23 Using Mandated, but Poorly Written Performance Objectives............................................................24

Addressing Performance Elements...............................................................................................................25 Writing Self-Accomplishment Reports and Evaluations ...........................................................................27

Six Tips for Writing Effective Self Accomplishment Reports .............................................................28 Models for Writing Self Accomplishment Reports................................................................................29

The ORCA Approach............................................................................................................................29 The SCRAM Approach .........................................................................................................................30 Examples for Applying the Accomplishment Evaluation Criteria ......................................................33 Using the DCIPS Performance Appraisal Application ..............................................................................37 DCIPS PAA Facts and Tips to Consider ................................................................................................37 Accessing Resources........................................................................................................................................38 Resources......................................................................................................................................................38 Training.........................................................................................................................................................38

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Guide to Writing Effective Performance Objectives, Self Accomplishments and Evaluations

Background & Purpose

Under the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS), supervisor/manager-employee collaboration to develop meaningful, well written, and effective performance objectives and self accomplishment reports and evaluations is important to ensuring that employees:

Understand what is expected of them at the beginning of the performance cycle

Are focused on work that aligns with and supports organizational goals and priorities

Are appropriately rated and recognized for their contributions

The Guide to Writing Effective Performance Objectives, Self Accomplishments and Evaluations is written to provide you with information and examples on how to successfully accomplish these requirements. While the information is written for employees, it also applies to managers and supervisors (known as rating officials and reviewing officials during the performance process). Under DCIPS:

At the beginning of the rating cycle or when employees move to an organization, rating officials are required to establish employee performance plans that include performance objectives and the required performance elements. It is a best practice for employees to be involved in developing their performance objectives so that there is a shared understanding of expectations from the beginning. Performance plans, including performance objectives are approved once reviewing officials have reviewed them and the plans are communicated to employees.

Throughout the performance cycle, employees and rating officials engage in performancerelated conversations and review performance plans. This ongoing dialogue ensures that employees remain focused on organizational priorities.

Midway through the performance cycle, employees and rating officials complete a required midpoint performance review. The midpoint performance review is an opportunity for performance objectives to be adjusted if expectations and priorities have changed. It is a best practice for performance objectives not to change after the midpoint performance review so that employees have sufficient time to demonstrate their abilities to meet performance expectations.

At the end of the cycle, employees complete self accomplishment reports that document their accomplishments as they relate to performance objectives and performance elements. After reviewing self accomplishment reports, rating officials complete their evaluations and ratings and submit them to reviewing officials for approval. Final ratings are used to determine performance-based payouts that are given in the form of base salary increases, bonuses, or combinations of both.

This guide is written at the enterprise-level. As such, employees, rating officials, and reviewing officials should ensure that they are complying with any agency or component-specific guidance.

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Guide to Writing Effective Performance Objectives, Self Accomplishments and Evaluations

How to Use This Guide

This guide supplements DCIPS training on writing effective performance objectives, self accomplishment reports, and evaluations and provides step-by-step guidelines for employees and rating officials on writing and evaluating the quality and completeness of performance objectives and performance elements.

This guide contains the following sections:

Writing Effective Performance Objectives describes the SMART model and offers checklists and examples.

Writing Effective Self-Accomplishment Reports and Evaluations describes two models and offers examples.

Using the DCIPS Performance Appraisal Application provides general information on using the tool.

Accessing Resources identifies the various resources, training, and tools available.

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Guide to Writing Effective Performance Objectives, Self Accomplishments and Evaluations

Writing Effective Performance Objectives

Writing effective performance objectives starts with understanding what performance objectives are and how the align with and support your organization's goals, objectives, and priorities. It starts by following six steps.

Six Steps to Writing Effective Performance Objectives

1. Understand the Purpose of Performance Objectives

A performance objective is a specific end result that contributes to the success of the unit or organization and that an employee is expected to accomplish or produce.

Performance objectives provide focus to an employee's work to ensure that his or her actions are directed towards achieving important mission-related outcomes. Performance objectives are not work activities, task descriptions, or responsibilities listed in a performance description.

A work activity is the action that an employee takes when performing his or her job. A performance objective specifies the outcome or end result of a work activity.

EXAMPLES:

1. Work Activity: Determine acquisition strategies.

Performance Objective: By the end of the fiscal year, present two acquisition plans for new computer systems based on a thorough analysis of customer needs, capabilities, and cost/benefits.

2. Work Activity: Prepare and deliver briefings.

Performance Objective: By 28 February, deliver three briefings to key stakeholders regarding the new security initiative within the organization, and write a detailed report on the feedback received.

3. Work Activity: Collaborate with others.

Performance Objective: For each project received during the fiscal year, solicit at least one individual from outside of your work unit to provide input at the planning stage. Incorporate the individual's input into your final report.

Recurring performance objectives are objectives written for activities that are part of an employee's routine tasking which may be unforeseen in terms of volume and timing.

Writing objectives that cover unforeseen work can be challenging, but this type of work is often an important part of an employee's job and should be evaluated.

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Guide to Writing Effective Performance Objectives, Self Accomplishments and Evaluations

A recurring task is a routine action an employee performs that varies in terms of timing and volume.

A recurring performance objective specifies the action, the customer, and an expected outcome of performing the recurring task.

EXAMPLES:

1. Recurring Task: Process incoming travel requests.

Recurring Performance Objective: Process and approve/disapprove all travel requests for the Human Capital office. Deliver 90% of approval notices within 10 business days of receipt.

2. Recurring Task: Facilitate informational training sessions, as requested, for new employees.

Recurring Performance Objective: Facilitate informational training sessions on how to use the organization's internal online tools for new employees who request training. Achieve a 90% satisfaction rate from employee training feedback surveys over the course of the evaluation period.

2. Compile Your Resources

As appropriate, gather the following sources of information to help you write accurate, jobspecific performance objectives:

Directives Duty statements Performance examples Other guidance documents Position descriptions Standard operating policies and procedures

As appropriate, gather the following to help you tie the performance objectives to higher-level goals/objectives:

Defense Intelligence Strategy and guidance National Intelligence Strategy and guidance Organizational goals, objectives, and priorities Supervisor performance objectives Work unit goals/objectives

Tip: One of the best strategies cited by employees for successfully writing effective performance objectives was to collaborate with colleagues doing or overseeing similar work to develop a set of common objectives that could apply to all individuals doing similar work within a given unit. This strategy:

Leverages the combined knowledge and experience of the group Helps to ensure that employees doing the same work have consistent expectations

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Guide to Writing Effective Performance Objectives, Self Accomplishments and Evaluations

3. Determine the Most Important Aspects of the Job

Make a list of the most important work activities for the job. Consider work activities: Critical for supporting the organizational mission Key to supporting other jobs in the organization Performed most often by the individual

4. Work Activities End Results

Choose three to six of the most important work activities on your list, and for each one, write down what the end result of performing that activity should be.

EXAMPLES:

1. Work Activity: Performs research on emerging foreign technologies.

End Result: Produce a report on emerging foreign technologies.

2. Recurring Task: Ensures computer program is working effectively.

End Result: Submit weekly inspection reports, documenting problems and corrective actions.

5. End Results Objectives: Make Your "End Result" SMART

Once you have written down several end results, turn each one into a "SMART" performance objective.

Specific ? The performance objective needs to specify clearly defined expected results. Details are important so you know what is expected. Clearly defined expectations and results make it easier for your rating official to determine if you met the objective. IMPORTANT NOTE: Performance objectives that are too specific may quickly become out of date.

EXAMPLES:

Objective A Too Vague: Update report on emerging foreign technologies. Specific Information that could be included:

What report should be updated? What is meant by "updated?" How much of the report will be updated? Updates should be current as of when? What are the standards for evaluating the quality of the updates?

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